Rockets
RocketsYaakov Naumi/Flash 90

Yael Paz Lahiani, representative for Kibbutz Nahal Oz near the Gaza Strip, reacted to the comptroller report that Israel is not adequately prepared for a future missile attack.

“I’m not so surprised, it’s troubling that there is such a failure of operational preparedness here. In [Operation] ‘Protective Edge’ we were out of the house for eight weeks, with only two of those weeks including aid from the National Emergency Authority. Evacuating citizens, especially in a town like ours, is crucial, and it’s troubling that we don’t learn from the mistakes of the past.”

Lahiani pointed out that not all educational institutions in the Gaza area are built to withstand rocket attacks.

“With us [in Nahal Oz], it took years for educational institutions to be bolstered with adequate defense, and I don’t want to think what could happen in other [communities near Gaza].”

She said that residents of Nahal Oz are aware that everything can change in an instant.

“At the moment, we are seeing the quietest period in fifteen years, but we know that everything can change in an instant and are constantly preparing ourselves for various emergency scenarios.”

Earlier this week, the State Comptroller, Yosef Shapira, released a report on Israel's preparedness in event of rocket attack in which he wrote that "although the military has envisaged a scenario in which Israel would be the target of thousands, or even tens of thousands of rockets and missiles, it is doubtful whether it has adequate capacity to defend the country properly."

The report added that it was estimated in 2012 that 27 percent of Israelis - more than two million people - had no protection in the event of war.

The Comptroller said, however, that the figure was likely higher because some public shelters were unusable.